"I've never read a book like this." The 11 books we couldn't put down this month.

This month, I'm recommending the new book from Daisy Buchanan. It's called Careering, and it follows two women at totally different stages of their career. If you're feeling burnout or stuck, this book will bring you back to life. 

The rest of the Mamamia team have been reading some unputdownable thrillers, some life-changing literary fiction, and a true crime memoir. 

Here are the 11 books we couldn't put down this month: 

Careering by Daisy Buchanan

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"If you're feeling burnt out, underappreciated, overlooked, or you're just wondering what the heck you actually want to do with your life, you need to read Careering. I read it a couple of months ago, and it made me completely change my attitude towards work and how I see my own value. 

The book follows the story of two women from two generations. Harri has poured her life into her job at Panache magazine, but knows it will all be worth it when she gets the top job. That is, until she's sidelined. Imogen has been working as a free intern for years when she finally gets her big break - but is it really all it's cracked up to be? 

Careering is a funny, fierce and honest look at what it means to have it all in 2022." - Keryn Donnelly, Pop Culture Editor. 

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

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"It’s been a while since I last read a fantasy book, so I was super keen to get into this one. It’s about a debtera (an exorcist who cleanses households of the Evil Eye) who is hired to work in a castle for a handsome young heir. There are curses, there’s evil, and there’s even a little romance. Super into it, read it all in a few days!" - Leah Porges, Audio Assistant. 

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth 

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"Omg, I have been missing out! I was hesitant to pick up one of Sally Hepworth's books as I thought it may be a little out of my interests/age range (I'm 21 and this book is about a group of suburban mums) but I inhaled it so quickly and it pulled me out of my reading rut. Such amazing twists and such a good, easy read!" - Emma Gillman, Editorial Assistant.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

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"This is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, so I went into it knowing it was going to be good. By day, Jo Kuan works as a maid for a wealthy Atlanta family. By night, she’s the anonymous author behind a newspaper advice column. But when her two worlds begin to collide, Jo faces some difficult choices. I absolutely loved how the author managed to seamlessly blend historical fact into the fictionalised narrative." - Leah Porges, Audio Assistant. 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

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"I'd watched the docuseries about Michelle McNamara's obsessive search for the Golden State Killer, but I'd never actually read her book. It is a vivid and meticulous account of her investigation into the serial rapist and murderer who terrorised California for over a decade. Sadly, McNamara died before she could complete her work - but having read this, I have no doubt she played a pivotal role in his capture." - Polly Taylor, Commissioning Editor.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

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"I have never read a book like this. It's so casual in its style (no capitals, full stops, much grammar at all really) but such powerful characters that I just wanted to know more and more about." - Katie Stow, Evening Editor. 

Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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"Such a great book that focuses on the complex relationship of a mother and daughter." - Olivia Simons, Group Sales Manager.

The Nickel Boys by Colson White

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"This novel follows Elwood Curtis, who inspired by the words of Dr Martin Luther King, wants to live his life by doing good. Brought up by his loving grandmother after being abandoned by his parents, Elwood is about to enrol in the local Black college when an unfortunate event leads him to The Nickel Academy, a reform school in the south. The novel, inspired by reform schools of the 60s, explores the brutality, racism and corruption prevalent in the centres. But at the core of the novel is a beautiful tale of friendship that will leave you aching. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I put it down." - Brydee Goodall, Branded Content Coordinator.

One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner

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"From the title and the synopsis I expected this to be a run-of-the-mill thriller I'd whip through then immediately forget. I was astonishingly incorrect. Five friends head into the woods for a bachelor weekend. Only four make it home. Five years later, the remaining friends return - along with missing persons specialist, Frankie Elkin - to look for their missing pal. After the first couple of chapters, I knew I was in it for the long haul. It's a taut, tense, engaging mystery, driven by captivating characters with dark and intriguing pasts - and it has an ending that I didn't see coming." - Polly Taylor, Commissioning Editor.

The Echo Chamber by John Boyne.

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"I've never read a book like this. This novel is a clever, funny commentary on virtue signalling, the online world, fame and cancel culture, through the story of a 'well-known' family in the UK. The dad is a breakfast TV host, and the mum is an author, and their kids are screwed up in very specific, modern ways. I laughed out loud and gasped with the accuracy of what it said about who we've become as a culture. I read it in a day because I needed to know what happened next, and it's made me think about the paradoxes that exist all around us." - Clare Stephens, Executive Editor. 

Group by Christie Tate.

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"My friend lent me this, and I was a bit unsure - but I started it and I love it - it's about a girl who starts reluctantly going to group therapy and how a group of strangers share everything with each other. It's heartwarming and funny and feels like a warm hug." - Lily Allsep, Audience Development Manager.

Keryn Donnelly is Mamamia's Pop Culture Editor. For more of her TV, film and book recommendations and to see photos of her dog, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.